This invention generally relates to safety and protective devices; and more particularly relates to a protective roller cover for a cantilever supported roller support in a horizontal industrial type sliding gate system.
Large sliding gates of chain link fencing are often used across road entrances, such as, estates and industrial complexes. These gates are usually made in long rectangular panels of fencing stretched on tubular metal frames which are often remotely moved horizontally across the roadway or gate opening. The tubular frame itself or horizontal guide rods mounted ont he gate frame ride on grooved rollers which are typically cantilever supported from vertical support posts embedded in the ground adjacent the gate opening. Usually two spaced posts, each having a vertically spaced set of two rollers, are used to sandwich and support each gate section. For extra wide gate sections, a ground roller may also be used to support a portion of the gate from the ground as it traverses the roadway. Typical roller supports for doors and gages are generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 771,766, 1,193,171, 1,356,005, 3,106,000, 3,613,314, 3,619,947, 3,861,084, 4,109,847, 4,628,638 and 4,723,374.
The rollers of the large, heavy gate assemblies particularly pose a potential personnel hazard. There have been instances in which minor accidents have occurred, such as, where a person would catch a finger or shirt sleeve in one of the rollers supporting the gate as the gate is actuated. Accordingly, a safety guard such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,185 to Oatman was developed specifically to address this problem. However, the Oatman guard suffers from at least two distinct disadvantages. First, it is bolted to the support post that it is difficult to remove in order to perform roller maintenance. Second, it does not cover the cantilever support for the roller so that fingers as well as rain and snow can easily get into the space between the roller bearings and the stub shaft supporting the bearings and roller with detrimental operating results as well as posing a serious potential for injury. Accordingly, there is a need for a roller guard cover which avoids these disadvantages.